Tuesday, 12 April 2016

Making Foundation Work For You

We've all been there; bought a foundation that had rave reviews, only to find it doesn't quite work as well as we'd hoped. Maybe the shade is a little bit off; maybe it pools in your pores and fine lines, or clings to dry patches. Either way, it's disappointing and can end up being wasteful if the product just sits on your dressing table without ever getting used, so I've assembled a few ways to try and make a not-quite-perfect foundation work for you!

When The Shade Is Off
There are a few things you can try here; if you're happy to wear a slightly more sheer base, you could mix a too-dark foundation with a little moisturiser to lighten it up a little. Alternatively, if you have a foundation that's a little off in the other direction (ie, one that's too dark and one that's too light), you could mix the two to create your perfect shade! The other option is a product designed specifically to tailor foundation shades to your skin-tone, like The Body Shop's Shade Adjusting Drops (£10/15ml) - I've not tried these but have heard good things!When It Clings To Dry Patches
The first thing I'd suggest trying here is making sure you've moisturised really well before applying your foundation; using an exfoliator to soften up any dry patches may also help, although you'll need to be careful not to irritate your skin. A chemical exfoliant might be best for this. If you're still struggling, you could try mixing a little bit of your moisturiser into the foundation as mentioned above, or even a drop or two of a facial oil - this can also help if the base is too heavy and feels mask-like and unnatural on you skin.

When It Pools In Pores & Fine Lines
I have quite large pores around my nose so this is a problem I've often had; I've found the best way to address it is by experimenting with my primer. The worst offender was, without a doubt, L'Oreal's Infallible Matte Foundation which I actually deemed unwearable at first; I did eventually discover that it worked much better applied directly over my moisturiser with no primer at all - I suppose because it's such a mattifying base. So if you're struggling with a foundation sitting weirdly on your skin I'd suggest trying it over different bases - or no base at all! You could also look at how you're applying - if you're using a brush, maybe try applying with a dampened beauty blender or even with your fingertips.

I think my best trick when trying to make a foundation work for me is trying different application methods. I have some that I've not liked the application or finish when I've used brush a and maybe swap to another type or brush, using fingers etc.

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